Hanley Ramirez Moves to First Base in Second Year with Boston

Hanley Ramirez wants to bury the past while embracing the present. He reported early to the training facility of the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday at Fenway South, six days prior to the deadline for Red Sox position players, although many of the players have already arrived.

Asked if the switch to first base from the outfield in a one and done thing after he would then take over the designated hitter spot for David Ortiz who will return after the season, he joked about what would happen if he was named a Golden Glove winner. He added that he did not know or make those types of decisions.

He is serious about wanting to be a Gold Glove winner. He said it was important for his teammates to be comfortable and have confidence he would catch when thrown too.

Last year’s experiment did not go as planned for Boston and the 32-year old veteran who signed an $88 million four-year contract before the season started.

With Xavier Bogaerts already at short, Ramirez was moved to left field and all thought he would do just fine. Instead, he was the worst player defensively in baseball and allowed a total of 19 runs to score.

The veteran hurt his shoulder and Boston shut him down in September. He finished with a bathing average of .249 and came up in trade talks during this past November.

Ramirez said the team missed the playoffs, they finished last in the American League East and the whole team took it together and he feels they will all play much better this season.

He spoke about how the bullpen is better, how the team now has its ace in David Price and its batting order should hold its own.

Ramirez has already started working out at first and said that for the past six weeks he has worked out five days per week in Miami with Laz Gutierrez an executive with the team.

Ramirez is the first to say changing positions will be a complete challenge to him.

Boston’s front office told Ramirez he had to loss between 15 and 20 pounds this season, as many felt his reported 240 pounds was too much for the player last year.

His played last season in outfield and was poor at best. Then in May, he ran into the Fenway Wall and hurt his shoulder.

This season will be a new start in the infield, but his second year with Boston. The Red Sox will need his fielding and his bat.